Tehran, Iran’s vibrant capital, captivates visitors with its rich cultural tapestry blending modernity and tradition.
From the opulent Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to the bustling Grand Bazaar and serene Sa’d Abad Museum Complex, Tehran offers a plethora of experiences.
The iconic Azadi Tower stands as a testament to Persian heritage, while the Islamic Museum showcases centuries of Islamic art and artifacts. Don’t miss sampling local delights like Ash reshte and Samboseh, adding culinary adventures to your Tehran journey.
With its diverse attractions and warm hospitality, Tehran promises an unforgettable exploration into Persian history and contemporary life.
Discovering Tehran: Top Attractions and Local Delights
Tehran city is roughly divided into two parts: north and south. It is a cosmopolitan city that offers you great museums, serene parks, luxury restaurants, contemporary cafes, traditional teahouses, and friendly people.
Things to do in Tehran:
1. Explore the Golestan Palace:
This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace, also known as Rose Garden Palace, contains gardens, royal buildings, and a collection of Iranian crafts and European gifts from the 18th and 19th centuries.
This palace consists of 17 structures, including palaces, museums, and halls. The 3 major archives include the photogenic archive, the library of manuscripts, and the archive of documents.
The major attractions of this palace are Marble Throne, Karim Khani Nook, Pond house, Brilliant Hall, Containers Hall, Ivory Hall, Mirror Hall, Diamond hall, Building of Windcathers, Museum of Gifts, Abyaz Palace, and Salam Hall and the entrance fee is 300,000 IRR. It opens from 9 am to 7 pm.
2. Grand Bazaar:
It is an old historic market in Tehran. This market splits into several corridors and spans about 10 kilometres in length. Each corridor specializes in a different type of goods such as copper, paper, gold, spices, and carpets.
It has several entrance gates. Sabzi-Meydan is the main entrance. Along with shops Grand Bazaar also has mosques, guest houses, and banks. This bazaar is busiest around midday and between 5 pm and 7 pm.
3. Sa’d Abad Museum Complex:
This museum complex covers an area of 110 hectares and comprises 18 separate buildings. In the basement, you will find the electric National Art Museum and the well-curated Fine Art Museum.
To explore the luxurious life of the shahs you must visit the extravagant 54-room White Palace, built in the 1930s. You can buy the tickets either from the front gate near Tajrish or at the northern entrance of Darband.
The museum complex has a pleasant place for an evening stroll. This museum opens at 9 am and closes at 5 pm. The admission fee is 1,50,000 IRR.
4. Azadi Tower:
This place is also known as Borj-e-Azadi. It is an inverted-Y-shaped Azadi Tower. They built it in 1971 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the first Persian empire. The major attraction of this place is the iwan-style of the arch, which is clad in 8000 pieces of white marble.
Inside the tower you will complex structural engineering that forms the bones of the design and for the view of gallery at the top. You can climb the stairs or use the lift to reach to top. This tower opens for tourists at 9 am and closes at 5 pm. The entrance fee is IR 150,000 for adults.
5. Islamic Museum:
This museum is located next to the National Museum in the same complex. In this museum you can explore a stunning collection of arts and antiquities from throughout the islamic period, including calligraphy, carpets, ceramics, woodcarvings, sculptures, miniatures, brickwork, and textiles.
Another major attraction of this museum is the beautiful Paradise Door. it is a 14th-century lusture-painted mihrab from Qom, and a 19th century inlaid door from Esfahan. This museum opens at 9 am to 7 pm from April to September and 9 am to 6 pm in October to March. The entrance fee to this museum is IR500,000.
Food to try in Tehran:
1. Ash reshte:
This dish is very popular in winter months. This is a kind of soup that features noodles with various traditional herbs and legumes. Ash reshte is topped with a mixture of garlic and onions fried with dried mint. Ash Kashk is a slaty, fermented whey product that is swirled on the top of Ash reshte.
2. Samboseh:
This dish is originally from the Southern part of Iran. Sambosas are and made with soft, thin flatbreads. These triangular cones of flatbread are filled with ground beef, potatoes, onions, parsley, and spices.
These stuffed triangular cones are then deep-fried and wrapped in paper. Sambosas are served with green chili sauces and tamarind sauce.
How to reach Tehran:
1. By flight:
The nearest international airport to Tehran is Imam Khomeini Airport. This airport is located 55 km southwest to city center. The nearest domestic airport is Mehrabad.
You can get direct flights to Tehran from European, African, Middle Eastern, and Asian cities. There are no direct flights from North America and Australia.
The national airplane of Iran is Iran Air. You will get private taxis from outside the airport. It will cost you somewhere around 1200,000 Rials to get to the city center.
2. By bus:
You can reach to Tehran from almost every city of Iran. Tehran has four bus terminals: Western Bus Terminal, Eastern Bus Terminal, Southern Bus Terminal, and Beihaghi Bus Terminal.
You can easily transport to and from most destination in Iran including Mashhad, Eshafan, Rasht, Shiraj, Tabriz, and Yazd.
3. By train:
Iran has a well developed railway network. You can easily get trains to reach Tehran from Mashhad, Ishafan, Tabriz, Kerman, Yazd, Sari, Gorgan, Ahvaz, Shiraz, and Bandar Abbas.
